Birds Looking Down
Published by DanM August 20th, 2007 in Southern Utah Wildlife and Nature, Southern Utah Talking Points and Questions.A few weeks ago, I wrote about how much I’m learning just looking at the blackbrush. One thing I learned recently is that the birds will tell you where the rattlesnake that I’ve been writing about actually is. I call it, “birds looking down”.
I was telling Ranger Tom, a friend here in Zion National Park, about it and he said “the old timers” used to use that trick all the time. That makes sense. “The old timers” used to sit on a horse watching cattle a lot. That’s about the same as looking out my window watching blackbrush. I’ll bet we learned the same way.
I noticed that the birds were looking down again today. The picture shows what it looks like. So I carefully walked up on the hill to check it out.
There he was … and one of the birds got too close this time. McRattle was just figuring out which end of the bird to start on. I checked in a few hours later and I guess he had found a rock to get under and digest his meal.
How wonderful!
The birds are beautiful! What are they?
Isn’t it great how Nature takes care of itself. there is something for us to learn from this, don’t you think?
Ellie
The birds in this picture are just ordinary sparrows and finches.
I see some interesting birds here and they tell me that California Condors sometimes fly up from the Arizona Strip, but I haven’t seen one of those yet.
“just ordinary sparrows and finches” I’ll have to look for them in the field guide.
I guess ordinary depends on your area / point of view, eh? Our “ordinary” sparrows & finches here in MI don’t look like that!
Our sparrows are primarily brown.
We have a few different varieties of finches: the goldfinch -Yellow w/ black and the house finch - greyish brown with a flush of red come to mind right now.
The house finches homesteaded on a wreath a nieghbor had hung on her front porch just feet from her front door. They didn’t seem to mind all the ruckus. She took the wreath down the next yr & they settled in her vine only a few feet over. this time within inches of the garage door!!! We had to wonder if this is why they’re named “house” finches!!! :}
Our sparrows and finches are the same. That’s a TERRIBLE photo and that might be why they don’t look the same to you. Maybe you’re not even recognizing the birds in it.
But you have to remember, I took it from inside the house through a window. There’s a nice, healthy rattlesnake under that bush.